The realme C35 was the first-ever smartphone to make its debut on TikTok Shop Philippines, and was sold out in record time. So what’s the hype about this entry-level phone?
What’s in the box
- Realme C35
- 33W Charge adaptor
- USB Type-C Cable
- SIM Card Ejector
- Safety Guide (and Warranty Card)
Specifications
- Android 11 with realme UI 2.0
- Unisoc Tiger T616 (12 nm) Chipset
- Octa-core (2×2.0 GHz Cortex-A75 & 6×1.8 GHz Cortex-A55)
- Mali-G57 MP1
- IPS LCD, 480 nits (typ), 600 nits (HBM)
- 6.6 inches, 104.4 cm2 (~84.0% screen-to-body ratio)
- 1080 x 2408 pixels, 20:9 ratio (~401ppi density)
- Panda Glass
- 164.4 x 75.6 x 8.1 mm (6.47 x 2.98 x 0.32 in) (dimensions)
- Weight 189 g (6.67 oz)
- Dual SIM (Nano-SIM, dual stand-by); microSDXC (dedicated slot)
- 64GB 4GB RAM
- 64GB UFS 2.2 storage expandable to 256GB
- AI Triple rear camera (50 MP, f/1.8, 26mm (wide); 1/2.76″, 0.64µm, PDAF 2 MP, f/2.4 (macro); 0.3 MP, f/2.4 (depth)
- 50MP Mode, Night Pro, Panorama, Pro, Timelapse, Macro, Portrait Mode, HDR
- Supports HD 1080p@30fps, HD 720p@30fps, and SD 480p@30fps video recording
- Front camera: 8 MP, f/2.0, 26mm (wide), 1/4.0″, 1.12µm (Sony IMX355)
- GSM / HSPA / LTE
- Wi-Fi 802.11 a/b/g/n/ac, dual-band, hotspot
- Bluetooth 5.0, A2DP, LE with A-GPS, GLONASS, GALILEO, BDS
- USB Type-C 2.0, USB On-The-Go
- FM radio
- Loudspeaker with stereo speakers; 3.5mm jack
- Face unlock with Fingerprint (side-mounted), accelerometer, gyro, proximity, compass
- Non-removable 5000mAh Battery with 18W Quick Charge
- TÜV Rheinland Smartphone High Reliability Certification
realme C35’s 50MP AI Triple camera | Photo by Mika Fernandez-David
Design
The realme C35 is thinnest, lightest, and was the first to feature a 6.6” Full HD+ Large Display with a resolution of 2408×1080 pixels in realme’s C-Series.
Its face is covered with Panda Glass and has a tiny waterdrop notch for its selfie camera at the top. To the right of the screen is the fingerprint sensor located on a slight indentation on the phone’s side to make it easier to find. On the left, you will find its SIM drawer and volume rocker. The top is void of any ports, but the bottom is busy with its (R to L) 3.5mm headphone jack, microphone pin holes, USB Type-C port, and perforations that serve as the speakers.
The C35’s back panel has a glass-like overlay that is flush with the metallic material found on the sides. The rear cameras located at the upper left corner protrude so the phone doesn’t lay flat on its back. Its sides are angular with a flat band around all the sides.
The Glowing Green unit we tested had a pastel-slash-metallic quality that gave it its premium look.
realme C35 | Photo by Mika Fernandez-David
Hardware
Despite being an entry-level phone, the C35 has decent specs with its 12nm octa-core Unisoc T616 processor and 5000mAh battery with 18W Quick Charge. It runs on Android 11 but uses the realme UI R Edition which is the brand’s simplified interphase for budget smartphones. This combination promises more than a day’s worth of use with normal usage.
The C35 comes with a set of AI cameras that are comparable to those of the brand’s mid-range offerings, minus some of the more popular (albeit processor-intensive) features. Definitely usable for documenting your special moments and for posting on social media.
User Experience
Out of the box, it comes with more than a screen’s worth of bloatware if you opt to just install everything and not curate the apps before installation. These apps include a bunch of Google apps, the more popular social media platforms, shopping and food delivery programs, games, as well as utility and editing apps that use up more than a quarter of the phone’s internal storage. Despite installing all of the above, though, I was still able to download the two top e-wallets in the country and use them without issue. Simple as they may seem, these two apps are pain points for lower-spec’ed phones we’ve tried in the past, and not being able to get access to your (G)cash is quite the hassle.
Like its catchphrase, the realme C35 looks classy and nice in one’s hand. Its angular shape and metallic sides give it a premium look and feel, despite its price point, it doesn’t look cheap. However, its pleasant-looking back panel tends to collect fingerprints and grime so it would be best to get a clear case for it that unfortunately doesn’t come with purchase..
The cameras of the C35 are a bit on the sluggish side but can produce stellar photos given optimal conditions. As for the display, the bezel is not too thick, the screen is bright, and its FHD+ resolution makes it good for consuming content wherever you may be.
Video calls and other basic operations are not a problem at all.
Sample Shots
No color enhancements were done to the sample phones and were only resized for uploading | Photos by Mika Fernandez-David
Value / Price / Availability
The realme C35 is back in stock in Glowing Black and Glowing Green and has an SRP of Php 8,499 for the 4GB+64GB variant, and Php 9,499 for the 4GB+128GB variant.
What we like
- Good size, weight, and design
- Good enough screen for content consumption
- Enough processing power for basic tasks
What we don’t like
- Fingerprint Magnet yet doesn’t come with a free bumper
- A bit sluggish for more advanced users